This invention relates generally to anti-friction bearings and more particularly to an anti-friction bearing adapted for linear and rotary motion.
There are in the prior art many forms of anti-friction bearings for linear motion such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,545,826 and 3,900,233.
There are also known in the prior art a number of patents which relate to bearings capable of linear and rotary movement relative to a shaft, examples of which are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,037,821, 3,582,160, 3,446,540, 3,692,371, 3,751,121 and 4,025,128 and Brisish Pat. No. 896,251.
The prior art patents offer numerous possible arrangements for bearings having linear and rotary movement relative to a shaft, some of which require relatively complex arrangements and stuctures and detailed machining which results in bearings that are difficult and expensive to manufacture and do not operate in a continuous smooth manner.
The present invention provides an anti-friction bearing capable of linear and rotary motion relative to a supporting shaft that solves some of the problems associated with the prior art structures and provides a bearing that is extremely simple in construction, is easily manufactured and is constructed and arranged so that plastic can be used in many places where metal such as steel was previously required. Thus, the present invention provides a relatively simple bearing structure which may be manufactured economically and which will operate in virtually a trouble-free manner.